The aggregate expense charged against earnings to allocate the cost of intangible assets (nonphysical assets not used in production) in a systematic and rational manner to the periods expected to benefit from such assets. As a noncash expense, this element is added back to net income when calculating cash provided by or used in operations using the indirect method.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6388964&loc=d3e16225-109274

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26713463&loc=d3e16323-109275

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Useful life of finite-lived intangible assets, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetUsefulLife
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of amortization expense for assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance with a finite life expected to be recognized during the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26713463&loc=d3e16323-109275

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseNextTwelveMonths
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of amortization expense for assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance with a finite life expected to be recognized during the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearFive
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of amortization expense for assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance with a finite life expected to be recognized during the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearFour
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of amortization expense for assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance with a finite life expected to be recognized during the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearThree
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of amortization expense for assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance with a finite life expected to be recognized during the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearTwo
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of impairment loss recognized in the period resulting from the write-down of the carrying amount of a finite-lived intangible asset to fair value.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26713463&loc=d3e16373-109275

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ImpairmentOfIntangibleAssetsFinitelived
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of impairment loss resulting from write-down of assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance and having a projected indefinite period of benefit to fair value.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ImpairmentOfIntangibleAssetsIndefinitelivedExcludingGoodwill
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=us-gaap_PatentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=ddd_AcquiredTechnologyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=us-gaap_CustomerRelationshipsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=us-gaap_TradeNamesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=us-gaap_NoncompeteAgreementsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=ddd_OtherIntangiblesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=us-gaap_SoftwareDevelopmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=us-gaap_AmericasMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=us-gaap_EMEAMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Intangible Assets (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Intangible Assets (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization expense		$ 60,763,000	$ 39,203,000	$ 20,447,000
Annual amortization expense in 2016	$ 35,113,000	35,113,000
Annual amortization expense in 2017	32,087,000	32,087,000
Annual amortization expense in 2018	26,920,000	26,920,000
Annual amortization expense in 2019	21,606,000	21,606,000
Annual amortization expense in 2020	16,912,000	16,912,000
Indefinite lives impairment charge		0	0	0
Impairment of Intangible Assets, Finite-lived	93,520,000		0	0
Patents Costs [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization expense		$ 303,000	$ 281,000	$ 250,000
Acquired Technology [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Impairment of Intangible Assets, Finite-lived	19,164,000
Customer Relationships [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Impairment of Intangible Assets, Finite-lived	63,852,000
Trade Names [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Impairment of Intangible Assets, Finite-lived	5,952,000
Non-Compete Agreements [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Impairment of Intangible Assets, Finite-lived	3,416,000
Other Intangibles [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Impairment of Intangible Assets, Finite-lived	791,000
Internally Developed Software [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Impairment of Intangible Assets, Finite-lived	345,000
Minimum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization periods		1 year
Minimum [Member] \| Patents Costs [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization periods		1 year
Minimum [Member] \| Acquired Technology [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization periods		2 years
Minimum [Member] \| Customer Relationships [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization periods		2 years
Minimum [Member] \| Trade Names [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization periods		1 year
Minimum [Member] \| Non-Compete Agreements [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization periods		2 years
Minimum [Member] \| Internally Developed Software [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization periods		3 years
Maximum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization periods		19 years
Maximum [Member] \| Patents Costs [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization periods		19 years
Maximum [Member] \| Acquired Technology [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization periods		15 years
Maximum [Member] \| Customer Relationships [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization periods		15 years
Maximum [Member] \| Trade Names [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization periods		9 years
Maximum [Member] \| Non-Compete Agreements [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization periods		5 years
Americas [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Impairment of Intangible Assets, Finite-lived	92,248,000
EMEA [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Impairment of Intangible Assets, Finite-lived	$ 1,272,000